CVE-2023-27148 in osTicket
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
A stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Admin panel in Enhancesoft osTicket v1.17.2 allows attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML via a crafted payload injected into the Role Name parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/16/2025
The stored cross-site scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-27148 resides within the admin panel of Enhancesoft osTicket version 1.17.2, representing a critical security weakness that enables attackers to persistently inject malicious scripts into the application's user interface. This vulnerability specifically targets the Role Name parameter, which serves as an input field where administrators define user roles within the help desk system. The flaw allows an attacker to craft a malicious payload that, when submitted and stored within the application's database, will execute automatically whenever the affected page is rendered to other users with appropriate privileges. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious script is not limited to a single session or request but remains active and executable each time the vulnerable page is accessed, creating a persistent threat vector that can affect multiple users over extended periods.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the admin panel's role management functionality. When administrators enter role names containing malicious script code into the Role Name parameter, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape the input before storing it in the database. This lack of proper sanitization creates an environment where attacker-controlled content can be stored alongside legitimate data, making it impossible to distinguish between safe and malicious inputs. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and more precisely with CWE-80 which describes stored XSS conditions where malicious content is stored on the server and later executed in the victim's browser. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it leverages the administrative privileges of the osTicket application, potentially allowing attackers to escalate their access and compromise the entire help desk system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities that compromise system integrity and user data. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, inject phishing content, or even execute commands on behalf of the victim. The stored nature of the XSS vulnerability means that any user with access to the admin panel or any page that displays the compromised role names could become a victim of the attack. This creates a significant risk for organizations relying on osTicket for customer support, as compromised administrator accounts could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive customer data, system configuration changes, or complete system takeover. The vulnerability affects the application's authentication and authorization mechanisms, potentially allowing attackers to bypass security controls and gain elevated privileges within the system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-27148 should prioritize immediate patch application from the vendor, as this represents the most effective and comprehensive solution to address the root cause of the vulnerability. Organizations should also implement input validation controls that sanitize all user-supplied data before processing, particularly for fields that are rendered in the user interface. Output encoding should be implemented to ensure that any potentially malicious content is properly escaped before being displayed to users, preventing script execution in the browser context. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures by monitoring for suspicious payloads and blocking known attack patterns. Security monitoring should include regular audits of admin panel activities and role management changes to detect unauthorized modifications that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular security assessments of administrative interfaces to identify similar weaknesses in other application components. Organizations should consider implementing automated vulnerability scanning tools that can detect similar stored XSS patterns in their web applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers credential access through phishing and social engineering, as the compromised sessions could lead to broader credential theft activities.